Police arrest 12-year-old for opening Game Boy present early

Humphrey Cheung, 6th December 2006

Police in Rock Hill South Carolina arrested an eager teenager for opening his Game Boy Christmas present early. The 12-year-old kid had taken the present that had been placed under the Christmas tree by his 27-year-old mother. On Sunday, the mother and the boy's great-grandmother couldn't find the present and threatened to call the police.

The boy fessed up, but the mother called the police anyways. Two Rock Hill police department officers arrived and arrested the boy for petty theft. While most people would say that it's impossible to steal a gift, the mother argued that the gift hadn't yet been given and still belonged to her. He wasn't taken to jail and was released to his parents.

The mother and grandparents say the kid has had previous disciplinary problems and wanted to teach him a lesson. Police Lieutenant Jerry Waldrop told the Rock Hill Herald that, "In a case like this, if the parents and grandparents are adamant about it and they feel the child has a serious problem, I can't second-guess what the officers did," Waldrop said.